Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1887-11-05
A Mothers Story.

'.The young man you met at the
gate. sir? Yes. that is my sonny
boy Jack.
You noticed the scars on his face,
and thought. maybe, that they spoilt
features meant to be handsome?
"Ah. sir! that was because you did
not know. Why. those red marks
make him more beautiful to me now
than when a baby in my arms. with
yellow curls and laughing eyes and n
skin like rose leaf. the people hurry
ing in and out of the train would turn
to look and smile at him, and praise
him 10 each other. speaking low. may
be, but not too low fora mothers quick.
proud ears 10 hear
.'For we lived in a little house close
by the station. and when / heard the
whistle of his fathers tran, used to
snatch the boy from his cradle or OFF the
floor, where he sat with his little play
iii ngs. and run down 10 the farther
end of the long depot where the engine
always halted. TO get the smile aud
loving words that my heart lived on all
day.
mot the least bit afraid was the baby
of all the whistling aud Changing of
bells, the groaning Of the wheels and
putting Of the steam. He would laugh
and spring so in my arms that ! could
scarcely hold him. I II his father would
reach down sometimes and lift him up
into the engineers cab and kiss him
for one precious minute aud then toss
4 him down TO me again.
"Whcn he grew ] tile older lie wa:
never playing horse or soldiers like the
other little fellows around; if was al.
WAYS u railroad train that he was driy
ing. All the smoothest strips of m,
billcis Of kindling wood went to built
tracks over the kitchen floor, hithel
and thither, crossing and re-crossinl
each other.
",Don't move my switch, mothe
dear! he used to cry out TO me. 4ol
might wreck my train for sure.
$50 had to 20 softly about my worl
with scarce place sometimes TO set m.
foot. And all the chairs in the hous
would he ranged for cars the big rock
or. with the tea-bell tied TO its back 70
the engine: and there he would 81
perched up by the hour. making belicy
attend 10 the valves and shouting
the fireman.
Il shall never. forget the first tim
his father took him 10 ride on the en-
CINE,
go but his father always babe him
, wait until he was older. So said:
: st.Don't tease your father any more
Jack. dear;' and like true little heal
that he was, he had not said anothe
word about it for matter of six month
or more
"But that day such wistful loo
came into his face, and he pulled hin
self up tall and straight, and sa,'
quite softly. his voice trembling iittl
Father, do YOU think 1 have grow
enough nowg :,
[ "Looking Mt him. saw tears in h
a pretty ewes. ! think his father sa
:. lsthcm. too, for he turned to me IN
hurry and said;
5 ".yyo meet the up train at Langto
: Mary. aud VIII Brown will bring Il
+ little chap back all straight, know
: What do you sayP
i .What could say but yesP AT su
l. per.time he was back, but he could n
t ant His eyes were like stars, al
, thcre was hot red spot on each chez
o 90 that | feared he would be i'll. And
/ thonght he never would be done tai
L inc Int now he had said scarce wor
n a What was it like, JaekieP ask
/. 30. mother!' he said, it wasn't Ii
If Rnythingr ;,
d he said: Unless 1t was llke--you re
Is last Sunday 2
II land what was that Jackp
N auired, for had forgotten. :
i Don't you know, mother i
N wings of the wind!
Ii ,tNhat was not his last ride on
n engine bv many times, for as nc 81
re older, his father would take nm OH
ON Saturdays or other half-holida
He was perfectly trusty and obedie
believe he would have had his ~
hand cut off sooner than have medd
~ with anything.
TX .'But he knew every valve and sci
Ill and gauge. and watched every turn
a, his fathers hand, and learned tho !
a mails MI along the line, so that my h
az band said to me more than once;
~ ".I believe in my heart Mary.
~ if | was struck dead on the eng
~ Jack could run her through withou
i breakr He was in school and les
~ ing fast but ont of hours he was alw
:, ~ poring over books and machinery
~ ~ steam. Such an odd child as no
~ ~ with thoughts far beyond his years,
=, "Sometimes. sitting hero by mysel
y. 90 over IN my mind the very stra
~ things he used to say TO me IN N
~ ~ II remember that one evening
=. had been reading for Q long time
"' some book that he had got out Oh